YAGICHO-HONTEN

Established in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, in 1737 (2nd year of Genbun).
We sell indispensable Dashi (Soup Stock) ingredients for Japanese cooking, mainly Katsuobushi (bonito flakes), Kombu kelp, Shiitake mushrooms, as well as dried marine and agricultural products.
“Katsuo Senbei (Dried Bonito Crackers)” becomes a hot item as a Tokyo institution.

An image of the former shop in the current site (above), taken in the Taisho Era. It vanished due to the Great Kanto earthquake. Only the white Noren (a Japanese traditional shop curtain) and abacus remain.

A scene from Hokkaido prefecture depicting the harvesting of the king of Kombu, which we sell, called Rausu Kombu. We sell three crucial dashi ingredients for Japanese cooking: Kombu kelp, Katsuobushi (bonito flakes), and Shiitake mushrooms. We collaborate with producers to sell exceptional, well selected ingredients.

A Makurazaki Dried Bonito factory that YAGICHO-HONTEN uses. The factory opens before dawn. Early in the morning, the factory is filled with the scent and smoke of Katsuobushi.

Katsuobushi, or dried bonito, begins with beheaded, gutted and filleted fish that is opened into a leaf shape (called “Namagiri”). The fish is raw during the entire process. The manufacturing process requires many steps. We cooperate with producers and sell high quality dried bonito flakes that are carefully selected from Makurazaki and Yamakawa Areas in Kagoshima prefecture.

A scene depicting the sorting of Japan’s best Kuromame (large black beans) made in Tamba Sasayama Area. Similar to the sorting of pearls, Kuromame is screened finely by its size. YAGICHO hand-picks especially large beans and sells them as a high-class Japanese-style restaurant use.

A farmer of black soybeans. We were surprised by the struggles he experienced at work over the years. Dried foods like soybeans are a natural product so the result may vary considerably due to causes like weather. YAGICHO sells sensational beans from many different areas.

Katsuobushi Shaving from highly refined dried Katsuobushi.

“Katsuo Senbei (Dried Bonito Crackers)”. We participated in the EXPO MILANO, sponsored by the Cabinet Secretariat, and our shaved bonito and soup stock were introduced as a high quality item which should be widely known to the world. A Nihonbashi specialty food.